SERIES REVIEW – Time and time again, attempts are made to adapt the Resident Evil video game series into a live-action film, but each time they fail miserably. First came the increasingly awful Milla Jovovich movies, then the rollercoaster quality animated films, and most recently, in 2021, the dreadful Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. But this current Netflix series really is the lowest of the low. And not just because it has nothing to do with the original source material.

Video game adaptations are notoriously difficult to do well, but that hasn’t stopped Resident Evil from trying again and again. Resident Evil movie makers have already attempted a fairly direct adaptation of the source material (2021’s Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City), an absurdly over-the-top action series that occasionally touches on the ideas, characters and locations of the games (Milla Jovovich’s six-film Resident Evil film series), and even bridging the gap between the games (Netflix’s 2021 animated miniseries Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness). Yet, every time Resident Evil is adapted to another medium, it lacks the suspense, mystery and unsettling nature that has made it one of the most beloved video game series of all time. However, in a franchise full of weak adaptations, Netflix’s new Resident Evil series is perhaps the worst.

Two timelines, two horrors

At least Resident Evil has a concept, which seems like an interesting possibility as the series is split between two different timelines. One story takes place in 2022 and follows Jade (Tamara Smart) and Billie Wesker (Siena Agudong), 14-year-old daughters of Dr. Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick), who move to an apartment complex called New Raccoon City, run by the Umbrella Corporation. The second story is set in 2036 when the world is overrun by zombies (known as “zeroes”), and the adult Jade (Ella Balinska) is trying to find a solution to this problem while trying to escape the Umbrella Corporation and return to her family.

Netflix’s Resident Evil uses the games as a backstory, and it kind of works, even if it’s not exploited as much as it probably should be. The concept alone raises a lot of questions for Resident Evil fans, such as “Wait, didn’t Wesker die in a volcano?”, “What the hell is New Raccoon City?” and most importantly, “Who spawned Albert Wesker?”. Don’t worry; all these questions will be answered in incredibly obvious and stupid ways, but only until viewers are forced to watch the increasingly idiotic antics of the Wesker family and Umbrella in the most tedious and lifeless “drama” yet created under the title Resident Evil.

Resident Evil Google Translate

It has to be said that Resident Evil does have some sensible ideas, but they are handled in the most soulless and mundane way possible. The script sounds as if it has been repeatedly put into Google Translate and then given to actors who look as if they have never spoken or heard the English language. Almost all the actors behave unnaturally, and the direction is below criticism. The action scenes are sloppily shot and edited and often too dark, without any sense of tension.

Furthermore, Resident Evil is full of confusing choices and tone changes that come from nowhere. Rather than focusing primarily on Wesker, Resident Evil concentrates mainly on the self-proclaimed asshole Jade – who was written to be a legitimate criticism – and her equally annoying sister Billie, as they gradually become immersed in a zombie story ‘spin’ that we’ve seen a thousand times before. Meanwhile, the 2036 story is so fragmented that the elder Jade is constantly introduced to new characters, who never have enough time to develop before they are torn to shreds and devoured by the ‘nullahs’. Without the existing interest in the Resident Evil franchise, it’s hard to imagine who would be attracted to this series in the first place.

But speaking of which…

…it begs the question: who is Resident Evil for? For those who are unfamiliar with the Resident Evil franchise, there are much better films or series that deal with the zombie/end of the world theme. And existing fans of Resident Evil will only be thoroughly enraged by this series. Perhaps the only character that looks familiar from the game is Albert Wesker, who not only looks completely different but also acts completely different and has been given an origin story that feels like a shoddy parody of the Metal Gear Solid Big Boss clone story.

This “Biohazard” should be avoided. It is harmful to health…

Andrew Dabb’s “Resident Evil” series is eight hours of net nonsense you will never get out of your life. Add to that the lame directing, idiotic script and dialogue, irritating protagonists, ridiculous main monsters and occasionally raunchy acting. This series is perhaps one of the most disastrous video game adaptations ever. We can’t recommend it to anyone: for those who don’t know the video game franchise, there are plenty of zombie/post-apocalyptic series that are light years better than this, and for those who do, it’s a head-scratcher of a creative decision that tramples on many franchises.

-BadSector-